1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an internal combustion engine lubricating system and more particularly to an oil filter for releasing anti-wear additives, such as polytetrafluorethylene, into the lubricating system.
2. Description of Prior Art
The use of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as a lubricant has been well recognized in industry for many years. More recently a number of products containing PTFE have been introduced into the market place for use as additives in motor oils to reduce wear and friction. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,933,656 titled "Lubricating Oil with Fluorocarbon Additive" and 4,888,122 titled "Engine Oil Additive Dry Lubricant Powder" are exemplary of engine oil additive prior art.
There are several products commercially available containing PTFE for blending in motor oil. Some trade names of PTFE additive products are Slick 50, T-Plus, and Valvoline VM8. The typical method to introduce PTFE into the engine lubricating system is during a normal oil change to replace one quart of a standard oil product with one quart of a PTFE additive product. The PTFE additive product is dispersed into the engine in the same manner as standard motor oil.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,842 titled "Oil Enhancing Multifunction Filter" describes an oil filter to introduce PTFE into an internal combustion engine lubricating system. The filter uses a time release of agglomerated PTFE particles.